


The Embrace of Death

by TheTinySummoner



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Blood Loss, BloodHunter, Cutting, Death Rituals, Don't Worry About It, Other, Vampire Slayer(s), what are these tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-11-02 06:35:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20654420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTinySummoner/pseuds/TheTinySummoner
Summary: After years of training to join the order to hunt the undead, Delilah's time finally have finally come. During the darkness of night she learns more of the hunters and the scarifices they make to protect the living.





	The Embrace of Death

Slowly, Delilah opened her eyes, awoken by the heavy weight on the side of her bed and the gentle hand placed on her shoulder. Though the hall was swallowed whole by the darkness of a winters night, with a rub of her eyes they quickly adjusted, meeting the gentle smile of her mentor, Paladin Adrain. Surprised she momentarily forgot about her nervous feelings about him and smiled back. However, before she could say a word her eyes wandered and noticed the dark figure standing behind him, the elder of the order. Delilah hurriedly rose up as Elder Vernon quietly stared back at her. "It's time," he uttered, before turning to walk away. Adrian hesitantly stood up and followed after him, avoiding Delilah's gaze. Standing up from her bed, she looked back at her gear laying neatly on a nearby chair.   
"Should I chang-"  
"Now," he interrupted without stopping.  
Without question, she quietly jogged up to them in only her nightwear, following them to her knew beginning. Before they walked out of the hall, Delilah looked over the room full of beds, noticing some of them were already empty.

The stone felt icy cold under her bare feet as they walked through the halls of the temple. The sound of their boots echoed through out the stone walls, drowning out the otherwise deafening silence between the three. Elder Vernon led them to a heavy oak door, the same door that the priests took her to as a child. By the very sight of it she swallowed. Though kind, their tests were rough, especially for a little girl.  
Quietly Elder Vernon reached under his armor and pulled out over his head a necklace with a large silvery key hanging onto it. The door creaked as it opened, only a set of stairs leading down. Grabbing one of the lit torches down from the wall he walked down into the darkness. Over his shoulder, Adrian glanced back at her, his lips pressed into a straight line before continuing after, with her in tow.

They descended for what felt like forever to her, continuing futher down than she had ever been. She was curious to how far down and where they were headed but knew better than to bother the elder with such menial questions.   
Finally, they reached the bottom of the stairs and the final door. The door looked different compared to the other doors in the temple. The iron designs on its front had a different pattern and the threshold much thicker.

When opened she was surprised to see a few people waiting for them on the other side; one of the priestesses and three older members of the order, one of which was a half-orc, her alchemy tutor.   
As everyone had entered, Delilah could see the room in its entirety. Much like the door, it looked quite different from the rest of the temple. The dank smell from the old, uneven stone had coated the entire space. It was also quite empty with exception of the torches protecting the room from total darkness and one big stone slab placed in the middle of it.

The half-orc walked up to the elder, gently handing him a metal bowl of liquid. The two bowed their heads before each other and turned towards Delilah. Taking her position of attention, she met the elders gaze.  
“Delilah,” he started.  
“Yes, elder Vernon?” She replied quickly, trying to mask her unease.  
“Fate may have led you here to us but will you create your own fate with Styr, the Tailor of Fate?”  
“I will.”  
“Will you follow Styr, Lady of Winter, no matter how long the winter may last?”   
“I will.”  
“Will you give your own blood and fight in the name of Styr, the Goddess of Death?”  
“For as long as she will have me!” She declared it strongly, the power behind the words almost creating a shout, putting a short smile on the elders lips.  
“Then let's begin,” he declared with much less harsh, assertive tone as before and gently handed her the bowl. 

The liquid inside it was dark, almost entirely black with the exception of some hues of red. Despite cold in her hands, the liquid bubbled slightly and with each bubble bursting the acidic smell intesified, tickling her nose. She looked back up to the members, watching their intense faces before bringing the bowl to her lips. The moment the liquid hit her tongue she flinched. The taste was bitter and acidic, burning her throat as she swallowed. Her stomach twisted and turned, begging for her to stop but she didn't until she had drunk the very last drop. Gasping for air she dropped the bowl into the floor, without any of the members flinching. Instead they parted the way before her, to the stone slab. Walking up to it she began seeing it more clearly. The intricate design of the slashed and cuts, creating some sort of pattern that she couldn't discern in the dim light but they all led to three different grooves that led off the table. Her fingers carefully ran along one of the lines before she felt the heavy hand of the elder and her attention shifted back to him. Gently he pushed her back, urging her to lay down but the moment she did, the quiet in the room died.

The rest of the members of the order walked up to them, pulling out chains and began shackling her limbs to the stone slab. Her body shivered to the cold touch of the stone and iron. Testing the chains, Elder Vernon pulled at them but they were strong. Her eyes darted around the room, trying to find answers but found themselves in the gaze of Paladin Adrian. No matter what the others were doing, his eyes stayed on her and that was the only answer she needed. Meanwhile the priestess had layed out three big jars, one under each groove. After, everyone took a step back, except Elder Vernon.  
Rolling up her sleeves he brung out a knife from his belt and carefully placed it on one her arms. 

As the knife pierced her skin she yelped. The knife went much deeper than the times she was required to cut. No, this cut wasn't only meant to bleed, but to kill. With slow strokes he drew the knife from the bottom of her wrist and up to her elbow before moving on to the other one. Whimpering she tried to keep her mouth shut as tears began falling down her cheeks.   
When he was done he back away to the others and watched as she shivered, trying to keep her tears back.   
Slowly her warm blood began covering her back, sticking her dark hair to the stone slab.   
Dripp.  
The blood found its way through out the grooves, running down in to the jars.  
Dripp.   
Her crying stopped as she could only helplessy stare at the stone ceiling. She heard voices but they were growing faint until they were fully gone.

The third dripp never came. Stone slab on her back had been replaced with something soft, something colder. An embrace. It pulled her down with it, sinking her under her blood as if the stone was no longer there.   
For several life times she sank, never breathing, never blinking. Only the shade of dark red around her. Finally she blinked. Three dark colossal figures stood at a distance. She blinked once more. One of the figures were right infront of her, the same size as Delilah, while the others hadn't moved.  
“What do we have here?” A woman voice rang out. “Another one so eager to die?” Delilah's eyes were too tired to see any features of the woman floating infront of her, everything was too blurry.  
“No, I think not,” it continued. “ I see my reflection in your eyes. Your life started with darkness... And your future will be painful...difficult even. Filled with coexistence, conflict and combat...But there's a will in you still... then let my words will be your sword,” the dark figure reach out its hands to her, holding up her head in them.   
“I will sing my song to you, my lullaby. Wake up with a smile...and a place in my heart,” the voice whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead. The cold lips shot her eyes open and once again she was in the stone room. But she didn't feel any cold, only pain.

With a shriek Delilah had woken up, her entire body convolutely in pain. Her arms and legs pulling the chains despite them pulling into her skin. Desperatly her fangs tried to reach the chains and bite them off. The shrieks were a earpiercing, unnatural sounds only a rabid beast could make.   
“What have you done?! What's happening to her?!” Shouted Paladin Adrian, trying to get to her, only to be stopped by the strong grip of the elder.   
“She's been accepted,” he replied staring at Delilah. “There's nothing you can do but wait.”   
The other members rushed up and began holding her down as the chains began breaking against the stone.  
For several minutes they held her down, struggling as she kept biting at them before with a final shriek, loud enough for all in the room to cover their ears, she fell unconsious.   
Without any resistance from the elder, Paladin Adrian ran up to her, holding onto her as they began taking the shackles off. 

Waving to the priestess the elder walked off. “Welcome to the Order.”

**Author's Note:**

> The bloodhunter class is made by Matt Mercer, please support his work on dndbeyond.


End file.
